George Strait Cool Down

Things are finally starting to settle down from this past weekend. There are even more events just around the corner, but in this calm before the storm, it may be nice reminisce about that Friday night which seems like just yesterday. George Strait came, he saw, and he played guitar. It almost seemed contradictory that his songs are so mellow and soothing, yet evoked so much emotion from the crowd. It is safe to say no one will forget that night, but here is a gift from me to you to make that memory that much sweeter.

You may remember Michael Wright for the amazing photos he took of the Linkin Park concert just one week ago. We have all sorts of great shots (like the one above of Phillip Sweet from Little Big Town) of all the members of each act (Sarah Johns, Little Big Town and of course George Strait) courtesy of Michael’s good vision and speedy shutter. Be sure to stop by our Flickr page for shots of last Friday concert. Within the George Strait collection, there are sets of Sarah Johns photos, Little Big Town photos, George Strait himself, and some more shots from the stands. As with Linkin Park, we would love to see your photos from this event. Please email us any shots you took to rupparenablog@gmail.com. Who knows, you may get your pictures added to our Flickr page.

George Strait Recap

There’s just something about a man in a cowboy hat; and there’s definitely still something about country legend George Strait. At 55 years old he still knows how to rock arenas and pull at your heartstrings. There wasn’t a woman in attendance who didn’t leave the show a little more in love with the crooning Texan, or a man who wasn’t proud to don his cowboy hat and sing right along.

With over 50 No. 1 hits since his debut album in 1981, it was easy to see why so many fans were on their feet, screams filling the air as each song’s opening riffs introduced another country classic. Of course, the “Pure Country” star couldn’t play every radio-hit but he did touch on a little of the old plus a little of the new.

“Check Yes or No,” “Amarillo By Morning,” “Give It Away,” “Run,” “I Hate Everything,” “Wrapped,” and “It Just Comes Natural” were some of
the night’s picks––although I have to say, I was disappointed I didn’t get to hear “All My Exes Lives in Texas,” “Clear Blue Sky,” or “Cross
My Heart”––but the concert was so good, I’m really not complaining!

I have to say something about his band as well, because they were flawless. And the set was really nice too; the free-floating stage allowed everyone an unobstructed view of George and his band, plus the guys did a really fine job of staying mobile and keeping the audience engaged.

When the lights finally faded and George left the stage, it didn’t take long for his screaming Kentucky fans to call him back out. And back he came. To play his usual ending song, “The Cowboy Rides Away…”

“Oh the last goodbye’s the hardest one to say, This is where the cowboy rides away.”

I love you, George. Feel free to ride back into town again soon.

George Strait Opening Acts

The approval and appraisal of George Strait means a lot in the country music industry. When he decided to bring along hit group Little Big Town and green-shirt Sarah Johns, it was no accident. Both acts were full of energy, and the audience seemed to agree with George’s choices, showing their enthusiasm. Below are a few photos of the openers, as well as some information about each.

Sarah Johns

Playing for her home crowd, Sarah Johns really gave it her all on stage. Sarah went to West Jessamine High School and then attended University of Kentucky. Now she has a video nominated in the CMT Music Awards and is touring the country with some of the most well known country musicians out there. She seems humbled by her success, yet extremely excited to be doing what she is doing. I am sure this is not the last everyone will hear from her.

Little Big Town

Little Big Town is no stranger to the stage, or the top of the music charts. Although not quite as successful as George Strait (yet), they have had a lot of hit singles. All four members of the group are amazing vocalists, each having their own solo sections in certain songs. The truely breathtaking part is when they perfectly harmonize with each other to create a soothing and unique sound. With four highly skilled members, they were able to move around the stage (which was in-the-round, meaning that there is seating on all sides) and each command their own portion of the crowd, and then join up together for a nice line-up of vocal talent. For their finale, the lights went dark and the first words of their song was uttered, “I have no shame…” which caused everyone in the audience to roar with excitement and get off their feet.

Tomorrow there will be a full write up of just the George Strait portion of the concert. Early next week we will be posting up all of our photos from the event to our Flickr account. If you would like to be notified as soon as the posts go live, then be sure to follow us on Twitter.